Ryanair ordered to refund cost of alternative fare after flight cancellation
A passenger successfully argued that once the airline cancelled his flight, it should pay for the alternative
Ryanair has been ordered to pay a Maltese client €502 to cover the cost of a ticket he purchased after his flight was cancelled.
Alexander Eriksen took the matter to the Small Claims Tribunal, where he asked the tribunal to order the low cost airline to pay the amount.
The tribunal, presided over by Christopher Chircop, heard that Eriksen had booked a Ryanair flight from Malta to Billund, Denmark, due on 30 March. On 5 February, Ryanair informed him by email that the flight had been cancelled. He then bought the cheapest available flight ticket on the market.
He argued that, according to EU Regulation 261/2004, he was entitled to reimbursement of that expense.
Ryanair pleaded that since Eriksen had been notified of the cancellation more than 14 days before the scheduled departure date, he was not entitled to compensation or additional expenses. It requested that the claim be dismissed in its entirety, except for the undisputed refund of the original ticket price.
The tribunal noted that the regulation provides that if a flight is cancelled, the airline must offer the passenger a choice between: reimbursement of the ticket (and, where applicable, a return flight to the point of departure); re-routing to the final destination at the earliest opportunity; or re-routing at a later date at the passenger’s convenience, subject to seat availability. Ryanair had only offered Eriksen a refund of the original ticket and not the option of re-routing as requested.
The tribunal found that Eriksen had spent €502 on an alternative flight and therefore ordered the airline to reimburse that amount, together with statutory interest at a rate of 8%, calculated from 6 February 2026 until the date of effective payment.